Joan Thursday

aded candles graced the places. In the centre of the table an ancient candelabrum of gold added the mellow illumination of its seven alabast

ch the fixed and undeviating glare of a remote light-house was reflected darkly, a long unwavering way of light;

of those with whom the Tankervilles liked to fill their house. The Athertons were old friends; he had known them well, long before Helena dreamed of marrying Tankerville. Marbridge was an indifferently familiar figure in the ways of his life; they frequented the same clubs, and of late he had begun to encounter the older man more and more frequently in his theatrical divagations. Remai

harming. So, evidently, did Marbridge, whose attitude toward her this evening was a little more noticeably attentive than ever before. He seemed to exert himself to intere

ge, her chin a trifle high, bringing out the clear strong lines of her throat and shoulders, which had the texture, the pallor, and the firmness of fine ivory. Her ey

f her strange and provoking quality. But there was something else, something one could not define:

on with Venetia. Matthias was in fact indifferent to Mrs. Cardrow. But he was tremendously interested in V

le to the young and fitful airs, radiant with sunlight, breathless with apprehension of the long, golden hours to come. One looked at Mrs. Cardrow and thought-of Woman. Venetia was dark, and the other fair; Venetia was by no m

marry her.

s she patient and prone to self-effacement. Matthias had known her long enough to have garnered vivid memories of her resentment of slights, whether real or fancied. She was unique and wonderful in many ways, but (he told himself in a catch-phrase of the hour) she was essentially human. He could not have cared for a woman without temper: he cared intensely for this g

ive narrative of the adventures of the day. Now, as ices were serv

u run away

lly noti

ed on her lips: "No

t myself becoming ornamental. Whereas, utility's my proudest attri

rea

sure

with me

ound them veiled and downcast.

again

ork. Besides, I had a litt

until this moment h

busi

id I know

ng new to b

rsal in August. A melodrama I wro

roduce

deo

o's

n vaudeville for a couple of years and, bec

will, wo

t I'm glad it'

re will

know. Rideout books through

raid I

r. You see, the theatres of this country are practically all controlled by one or the other c

ich is

mperceptible to the

'll let

n motoring distan

d his round and sun-scorched face in vain attempts to catch his wife's e

the card-ro

erville bleate

certed movement

ngered wit

, tonight. Sh

to. So will you.

e sighed, petulant-"I'd rathe

e're two over two full tables. Therefore we'll have to

l be just our luck to be dis

ty. "Do you really want to ta

, curtaini

h," she s

and edged Mrs. Cardrow out by a single pip. How Venetia fared he did not learn,

elopment of disconcerting suddenness; or else he had been witless and blind beyond relief. And yet-how could he say? He was so frequently misled by

g there more exacting than bewilderment, more exciting than hope. On the other hand, he could fix upon nothing in the bearing of these amiable people to lead him to believe t

ss, white arms alone moving graciously in the half-light as her deft hands wandered over the key-board. Marbridge, his arms folded, lounged over the piano, his back to the card-room. The eloquent movements of his round, dark head, its emphatic nods and argum

of their conversation. But for a sure clue to the intrigu

ion: "Game-rubber. Jack, you go out-praise the Saints! You've

d cheerfully, rising. "

you can bet your sweet life I'm going to pick out a family of sure-'n

held a chair for her, and then, since the rubber at th

nsciously he stepped out upon the

t only when, released, it fell. No night ever more still than this: land and water alike spellbound in breathless calm; even on the brow of that high foreland where Tankerville had build

ns was clearly audible, bridging a distance of over a mile across the harbour, from the ball-room of the country club. Far out upon the Sound the night boat for Boston trudged along like a slow-winging f

f her approach, yet he was not startled. He turned his head slowly,

that last, he knew, was trembling. The nearness of her perso

re and delicious wonder of her loveliness, to the impregnable mystery of her womanhood. He regarded her with something near awe, with keen perception of

The girl turned away to a huge willow basket-chair. Matthias found its fellow and drew near to her. He struggled to speak; he fa

he hazarded at l

gently. "O romantic man!" she said. "Now that you ha

its purpose, enraptured with the refulgent wonder of that cameo of sweet

e bent forward and daintily exting

sh to be st

mechanically, star

raid you may se

he declared wi

he said in a mocking voi

illegible; but the moonlight was full upon his face, and she who

cigarette into the gulf. Abruptly she sat forward, studyin

very quietly, "is it

" he cried,

it t

matically puffed with such fury that in a trice he had reduced the cigare

ped stupidl

it t

ts very monotony, a monotony of inflexion no less than of repetition. Her a

Vene

ust making believe,

se it's true!" he

en't you ever

ot unkindly, but real. He

guess you'd c

as to think I'd resent it,

k of it that way. In fact

ven, I'm twenty-three. We know one another pretty well: we know ourselves-at least slightly. Why can't we face things-facts

nd kind. Of a sudden he cried "Venetia!" came to his knees beside her

I've always

forehead; and made as if to clasp her to him. But s

here. Dear boy, get up! Think-t

ove

'm glad-so glad! But

-afraid; I hardly dared to dream-of t

hand sealed

! Get up. If you

of the night: the cold, inaccessible, glittering vault of stars, the malformed and sardonic moon, the silken bosom of the Sound, the lace and purple velvet draperies of the land. Down on th

xquisite mystery of her enigmatic heart, bewitching, bewildering, stea

ropped his head between his ha

ring, she de

d up-let this come to pass. I love yo

maybe, enou

me? What have I to offer you? The position of wife to a pove

I not the one t

o provide for you in the way to which you'

I h

whim. With things that way-what of your own you choose to spend on

at will

promise-I har

ay isn't you

N

failure, you

ainly

nly a questi

can I ask y

s no ne

me six months: I've got another piece of work under way

N

e stared. Her white arms, radiant in that

oice tense with emotion-"it must be now

ons of Helena Tankervi

s to the card-room, she said

race and seeing Venetia and M

re, Jack. You're

ain his poise, said nothing. Ve

an't

t, d

t come, Helena.

gag

down upon them with a

.. O my dears

d Venetia i